E3 Coverage – Arkham Knight

Well we have all heard the bad news. Arkham Knight, the final game in the acclaimed Batman series by Rocksteady has been delayed until sometime in 2015. This didn’t stop Rocksteady from giving us a brand new gameplay trailer for the upcoming title at E3. Check it out!

First off, the robot and armory nature of the suit brings to mind Azreal’s batsuit from the DC event, Knightfall. It looks both good and intimidating. The trailer starts with Batman suiting up inside of what looks like a penthouse on the top of a skyscraper. For those of you who keep up with the comics know that Batman has these little Cave’s-away-from-home all over Gotham. The introduction of them here is interesting and makes me hope that Gotham is big enough to warrant several hideouts, and that they are something you can gain or unlock down the line kind of like the Grand Theft Auto series.

The vista from the perch just outside the penthouse is so detailed and amazing that it gets a mention here.

When the Caped Crusader steps off of the building, and plunges to the ground, it is a little more intense that the previous installments, and the speed with which he sails through the cityscape seems a lot more fun, fluid, and fast. At first, this enforced the fear I had that the Batmobile was going to be an extraneous addition to the game. If you can fly through the city faster and more efficiently than you can use the vehicle, what would be the point right? No one wants a Spider Mobile in the Amazing Spiderman games, right?

As you saw, this worry was quickly put to rest. Even having to keep to streets (and I use that term loosely) it is clear that the vehicle travels much, much faster than the gliding will allow.

What I don’t know how to feel about is the battle mode. Obviously expanding on the new mechanic, finding new things to do with it, would make the Batmobile a more compelling mechanic. Somehow, it came off hokey to me. Allowing you to strafe and shoot almost feels like too much. That said, the Arkham Knight controls unmanned tanks, so I suppose having a special “battle mode” helps even the odds.

The seamless nature of switching between the vehicle and out again is really amazingly well done. So is the “fear takedown” mechanic. I loved seeing the chained takedown mechanic in action, with Batman taking down three Penguin Henchmen stealthily, one after another.

The theatricality of Scarecrow hijacking the trailer was a nice touch, and I have to say, his new design really is much creepier and horrifying than his Arkham Asylum costume. This trailer has really got me hyped for the game and damning everyone at Rocksteady for making me wait until next year!